Six reasons to thank your local grocer

By IGA Advertorial| 2 years ago

The grocers who play an essential role in their community

Our local, independent IGA supermarket is a bedrock of our community. So much so, we often take them for granted — overlooking the myriad of initiatives they lead and contributions they make — when we should thank them.

There are more good deeds and noteworthy contributions from the IGAs around Australia than could feasibly be documented, but here are six reasons to say thanks.

Raising essential funds

It's tough being an Australian farmer. Recognising this, Michael's IGA in Gippsland and Shepparton, Victoria, started the Dairy Farmers Crisis Fund in 2016 and to date have raised close to $100,000 for initiatives supporting farmers doing it tough, including Need for Feed and the Rural Financial Counselling Service.

Helping the less fortunate

We're not truly a community until we band together to help the most vulnerable.

Steve Smith and Ian Leckie of IGA Yass, NSW, run a twice weekly senior's bus to help with accessibility, while Ike Abdulla from IGA Waikiki co-hosts a senior's morning tea.

Meanwhile, the Romeo Foundation, founded by the Romeo's who own IGA and Foodland IGA stores in South Australia and New South Wales, recently took 25 intellectually disabled children on an unforgettable trip to America.

Passionate about giving back and championing people in need, IGA retailers across the country have joined forces to continue to embrace the true spirit of Christmas. Once again this year, they've thrown their support behind the Vinnies Christmas Appeal to help those most in need.

To date, they've raised more than $1.5 million via the sale of Vinnies Baubles, which has directly supported Vinnies in providing food and vital support to thousands of people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage across Australia.

Catering to unique situations

The Chapley family, who own the Frewville Foodland IGA in South Australia, dim the lights and ensure noise is kept to a minimum every Tuesday evening to assist families with sensory issues.

Listening to what the community needs

In Ringwood East, Victoria, locals were about to lose their local bank branch when Arthur Cocris from Paul's Supa IGA, along with the local newsagent and real estate agent, raised enough capital to start a community bank and retain the vibrancy it brought to the town.

Saving lives

Encouraging healthy habits

School canteens are an essential source of healthy food for kids, but often they lack volunteers. For WA's Pearsall IGA owners, Lee-Anne and Adam Woodgate, it was a no brainer to step in at Pearsall Primary School and offer a healthy menu that they could prepare and deliver one day a week.

The owners of IGA Cooroy, Qld, Peter and Jackie Zipf, also are firm believers in the importance of starting the school day right — and they support their local primary school's breakfast club, providing free bread, juice and milk.

*IGA Stores proudly make up a vibrant community of 1400 small independent businesses who give back. Find out more about IGA and the ways it's helping to support communities — both locally and beyond — here.